Lamp flare holder



Dec. 26, 1950 s. J. GARTNER ET AL LAMP FLARE HOLDER Filed Nov. 25, 1944 FIGJ.

INVENTORS STANLEY J. EARTNER EDWIN W. BARRETT rroRNEY Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Barrett, Dani/ere, Mass, assignors to Sylvania Electric Predncts End, Salem, Mass, at corporation 'of Massachusetts Application November 25, 1944, Serial No. 565,167

i Claims.

This invention relates to devices for holding a glass lamp flare and an exhaust tube, and particularly to devices for holding said flare and tube in position while they are being sealed together.

An object of the invention is to provide an effective device for said purpose with a minimum of parts, and a device which will hold the parts securely in alignment. A further object is to provide self-centering of the flare and exhaust tube in such a device.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Figure 2 is a partial section through the axis of the device; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the device.

The glass flare I rests in the flare support '2, whose forward port on is somewhat U-shaped in the plan view of Figure 1, the opening extending into a hollow central portion having beveled sides, as shown dotted in Figure 2. Three equidistant nubs 3 project from the beveled opening, and the flare rests on these three nubs, which align it. The flare I and its support 2 are forced against the flare hold-down member 4, which is somewhat U-shaped in its forward plan view, by the action of spring 5 on pin 6 which is fixed to support 2 by the taper pin 1. Pin 6 is slidably mounted in the long bushing 8, and spring 5 exerts force between nut 10 attached to bushing B, and collar ll held to pin 6 by the spring clip I 2, set in a circumferential groove on said pin 6.

Flare hold-down member 4 is fixed to bushing 8, and the flat link I3 is held to the hold-down member 4 by nut 10 through washer M. This link l3 may serve as a handle for holding the device, or may be attached to a conveyor comprising a number of such links, if the device is to be used on an automatic machine.

Arm I5 is pivoted about pin IS in the top 23 of the flare holder 4, and spring ll acts to push the arm l5 into contact With the exhaust tube 24. Arm Him is set in a milled recess 25 in the top 23 of the flare hold-down member 4 by screw 28 and has the two rectangularly notched fingers l 8 and l 9, in vertical alignment with each other. The flat vertical surfaces 2| and 22 on lever I5 and arms is and. i9 bear against each other to keep in alignment. The forward portion of arm l5 has the projection 9 With the slanted surfaces 36, 3? so that the exhaust tube 24 can be 2 inserted by pushing it directly inward, the arm '15 moving back against the action of the spring ii, which pushes sleeve #38 against arm 39 proj'e cting from arm l-5.

Inoperation, the pin *6 is pushed down to insert the flare l in its support 2. The exhaust tube is then inserted by being pushed against the outer curve 36 on the projection Q of arm 15 so that its lower end is about flush with "the "lower end of the flare I and the two parts are held together and may be sealed by softening the glass in the lower end 2'8 of the flare to melt the lower ends of the two pieces together in the usual manner.

The h at for sealing the flare andexh aust tube is applied at the bottom 28 of the flare I. This heat may emanate from a flame somewhat below the bottom of the flare. The springs 5 and i! are placed well away from the high temperature zone. The conduction of heat from the flare I to its support 2 is minimized by the small contact area of the hubs 3, which also serve to center the flare I. The portion 26 of the flare hold-down member may be cut-away as shown to reduce heat conduction. The flare holder 2 may be similarly cut away. The arms l5, l8 and I9 are also well out of the high temperature zone and heat conduction alon the long exhaust tube is small, so that the heat reaching them is chiefly from convection.

The bushing 8 forms a very long bearing for pin 6 to keep it in alignment, the ratio of length to diameter of 12 to 1 being used.

The guide pin 49 aligns the flare support I and the hold-down 4 against rotary motion around pin 6.

The usual lamp flare consists of a portion 21 in the shape of a hollow truncated cone with a portion 28 in the shape of a hollow cylinder extending from the smaller base of the truncated cone. The slot 4| in support 2 is just wide enough to allow the cylindrical portion 28 to slide easily therethrough, and the hollow central portion of the support is shaped like a frustrum of a cone merging into this slot 4|.

The hold-down member 4 has a flat bottom to bear against the larger base of the flare, and is made in the form of a modified annulus havin a center-line diam ter about the same as that of the flare to be sealed. The annulus is not a complete one, for it is not closed, having a space between its ends as in the case of flare holder 2. It extends sufficiently around the circumference of the flare to center the latter against the nubs 3.

The device may be used in a position upsidedown with respect to that shown in the drawing, or may be turned to have its axis horizontal or oblique. When, in the followin claims, I specify one part as being above another, I mean, it is above the other part when the device is held in the position shown in the drawing.

We claim:

1. A flare and exhaust tube holder comprising: a support for a flare, said support having a hollow central portion with inclined sides from which three equidistant rounded nubs project for contacting a flare; a hold-down member above and in register with said support, said member having a portion in the form of a modified annulu for contacting the base of a flare; a vertical pin fixed to said support and extending upward through said hold-down member; a sprin concentric with said pin for urging said support and said holddown member toward each other; a guide pin for keeping said support and said hold-down member in alignment; a notched arm fixed on said hold-down member; a lever pivoted on said hold-down member and having a short projection on its outer end and capable of closing against said arm to hold an exhaust tube between said projection and the notched portion of said arm; and a spring to urge said lever to closure against said arm.

2. A flare and exhaust tube holder comprising: a support for a flare; a hold-down member above and in register with said support, said member having a portion in the form of a modified annulus for contacting the base of a flare; a spring for urging said support and said hold-down member toward each other; and a pair of arms above said hold-down member and supported therefrom for holding an exhaust tube along the axis of a flare, one of said arms having vertically-spaced and vertically-aligned fingers cooperating with the other arm to hold an exhaust tube, and a spring urging said other arm toward the fingers of said first arm.

3. A flare and exhaust tube holder comprising: a support for a flare, said support having a hollow central portion with inclined sides from which three equidistant rounded nubs project for con-- tasting a flare; a hold-down member above and in register with said support, said member having a portion in the form of a modified annulus for contacting the base of a flare; a vertical pin fixed to said support and extending upward through said hold-down member; a spring concentric with said pin for urging said support and said hold-down member toward each other; and a guide pin for keeping said support and said hold-down member in alignment.

4. A flare holder comprising: a support for a flare conforming generally to the truncated conical base of a flare: a hold-down member above and in register with said support, said member having a portion in the form of a modified annulus for contacting the base of a flare; a spring for urging said support and said hold-down member toward each other; and means to maintain the support and hold-down member in alignment.

STANLEY J. GARTNER. EDWIN W. BARRETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

